Avs Captain Assigned to Colorado Eagles for Conditioning

It's exactly the kind of scenario the Colorado Eagles envisioned when they were promoted to the AHL in 2017 and became an affiliate for the hometown NHL team and multiple Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche.

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Being geographically convenient to Denver and the top affiliate for the Avs in the pipeline to the NHL, the Eagles have benefitted from a handful of Avalanche players making the trip up I-25 for a few injury rehab stints.

None bigger than the one we will likely experience in the coming days as Avalanche captain Gabe Landeskog has been sent to the Eagles this weekend for conditioning, just ahead of the 2024-2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

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Landeskog had knee cartilage replacement surgery in May of 2023 and hasn't played since the Stanley Cup Finals in 2022. No player has ever successfully returned to form after this surgery before.

He's been practicing with the Avalanche in Denver, but is set to hopefully get some game time with the Eagles this weekend vs. the Henderson Silver Knights at Blue Arena, before returning to the Avs just in time for the NHL to kick off their playoff tournament on April 19.

The Avalanche will be the #3 seed in the Western Conference headed into the playoffs.

Landeskog could return from long-term injured reserve and help his team after the conditioning assignment with the Eagles. Players are allowed to play in three games - or stay up to six days - with affiliate teams they are loaned to.

The Eagles, for their own right, currently sit as #1 in the Pacific Division of the AHL and are set to begin their own run for the Calder Cup the end of this month.